Once upon a time, the message-board assassins and the fans calling into radio talkshows were the impulsive ones, the ones calling for the coach to be fired or the general manager to be jettisoned. And those of us in the media were the ones who traditionally took a more measured and patient approach.

Central Florida sports fans can finally stop pining for the days when Stan Van Gundy, the beloved coaching curmudgeon, returns to Orlando.
He is already here.
Except now he's riding the refs and prodding his players in another sport under a new alias....

Everybody knows about rookie Elfrid Payton's cotton-candy coiffure and now his back-to-back triple-doubles.
Another Magic rookie is in the midst of one as well.
James Borrego's coaching triple-dub is 30-20-10.
Borrego got the job with 30 games...

MILWAUKEE — The Orlando Magic did many things well for 46 minutes Wednesday evening. Fresh off a lopsided loss the night before, they at least showed some fight against the Milwaukee Bucks. After they lost a 10-point lead in the third quarter, the...

Brian Shaw played in Orlando and now he relishes the chance to return as the Magic's head coach.
A person close to Shaw told the Orlando Sentinel that the former Magic guard would "absolutely" be “very interested" if or when the job opens. ...

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ATLANTA — It's no secret the Magic admire the five-time champion San Antonio Spurs. If they don't land a Tim Duncan in the near future, they might want to model themselves after another team: the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks look like San Antonio East — just without the superstars.
Coached by former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks put their workmanlike credo on display in beating the Magic 95-88 at Philips Arena on Friday night.
"There are no egos on that team. We're aspiring to...

Running off at the typewriter …
How is it that Jacque Vaughn gets fired, James Borrego takes over as interim coach and the Magic suddenly and miraculously go from one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA to one of the best (at least statistically)?
Since Borrego took over, the Magic rank first in the NBA in fewest points allowed in the paint and fewest fastbreak points. Additionally, the Magic are third in field percentage allowed (41.6) and points allowed (92.7). Hard to believe this team...

James Borrego is not helping his chances to keep the Magic coaching job after the season.
He cost himself dearly -- again.
Under Borrego’s short interim tenure, the Magic have found inexplicable ways to stunningly blow two games that seemed impossible to lose:
They lost to the Chicago Bulls despite holding a six-point lead with 32 seconds left.
They lost to Miami on Wednesday night despite holding a seven-point lead with 36 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Heat won in overtime 93-90....

Running off at the typewriter …
Because Danica Patrick seems to crash anytime Denny Hamlin (or anyone else, for that matter) gets close to her, I think NASCAR needs to begin work immediately on some form of high-tech force-field technology.
Here's how it will work:
Because Danica is good for business, merchandising, ticket sales and TV ratings, we can't have her being wrecked and knocked out of important races like the Daytona 500.
After Hamlin spun out Danica in Thursday night's qualifying...

If Aaron Gordon's wish comes true, he'll spend the 2016 All-Star weekend in Toronto and compete in the dunk contest.
The Orlando Magic rookie wants to take part in the event.
"Definitely, definitely," Gordon said Thursday. "I would love to do it, and hopefully I can next year."
Gordon recorded a maximum vertical jump of 39 inches at the 2014 NBA Draft Combine.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' Zach LaVine, who won this year's dunk contest, jumped 41.5 inches at the combine.
Gordon visited New York for...

The Magic announced Tuesday that James Borrego will finish the season as interim coach, and I can't help but root for him.
He's Rudy and Rocky rolled into one. He's such a big underdog to permanently keep the job that even the ant trying to move that rubber tree plant feels for him.
No surprise that Borrego is a go. No reason to subject these players to another coaching change this season unless it's Bill Belichick.
With their next move, however, the Magic could well be making their most critical...